This invention is in the field of medical devices that prevent the formation of scar tissue. Specifically, this invention is a radioactive bandage to be applied to wounds to reduce the level of scar tissue formation on the skin surface.
When an incision is made in the skin either accidentally or as part of a surgical procedure, the body produces scar tissue to help close the wound. A sterile wound dressing assists in eliminating an infection, however, the wound dressing has no significant effect in reducing the extent of scar tissue formation. Although some patients may have a minimum production of scar tissue, other patients can produce a level of scar tissue which is to some extent disfiguring. An extreme example of excessive scar tissue formation is the case of keloids. A well known treatment for keloids is surgical excision of the excessive scar tissue followed by several sessions of fractionated radiation typically using x-rays. This procedure, though successful in approximately 75% of all cases, is considerably expensive and time consuming.
The present invention is a unique wound dressing which applies ionizing radiation to the surface of the wound as soon after the wound is created as is possible. Optimally, the radiation has a range which extends to the bottom surface of the skin but not significantly beyond that depth. An example of a radioactive source that can apply this type of radiation dosing is a beta particle emitting radioisotope such as phosphorous-32 which has a range of approximately 3.5 mm for 90% of the electrons that it emits. Furthermore, phosphorous-32 has a half-life of 14.3 days which means that it has a very high rate of specific activity. Therefore, even very small amounts of phosphorous-32 can provide a sufficiently high level of irradiation to significantly diminish scar tissue formation.
The radioactive bandage for cuts in the skin would typically be an elongated, substantially one-dimensional, flexible structure which can be applied along a wound or surgical incision. Typically, the radioactive bandage would extend for approximately 1 to 5 mm beyond the cut in all directions. The radioactive bandage would include a shield structure which surrounds the thin, elongated radioactive portion thus disallowing stray radiation outward from the patient""s skin. Specialized shapes for the radioactive bandage could be employed. For example, a hemispherical shaped radioactive bandage could be applied on an earlobe at the site where the lobe was pierced to disallow a keloid formation at that site.
To treat a wound with the present invention, one could first place a sterile bandage over the wound. Typically, such a sterile bandage would have a piece of sterile gauze extending for approximately 5mm beyond the extremities of the wound. The sterile bandage would also include an adhesive tape to hold the sterile gauze in place. The radioactive bandage would then be placed over such a bandage to apply a prescribed dose of radiation to the wound site.
Thus it is an object of this invention to reduce the formation of scar tissue for incisions into the skin which occur either accidentally or as part of a surgical procedure by means of a radioactive bandage that applies a prescribed dose of radiation to the wound site.
Another object of this invention is to utilize a radioactive bandage which has an elongated, substantially one-dimensional, structure which lies generally along the incision where it is desired to reduce the formation of scar tissue.
Still another object of this invention is to utilize a beta particle emitting radioisotope as the source of radiation for the radioactive bandage.
Still another object of this invention is to first place a sterile wound dressing on the skin incision and then place a radioactive bandage over that dressing.
Still another object of this invention is to provide a shielding means along the radioactive bandage to essentially eliminate exposure to ionizing radiation except as desired at the site of the wound.
Still another object of this invention is to have a shape of the radioactive bandage which is dictated by the shape and extent of the incision into the skin.
These and other objects and advantages of this invention will become obvious to a person of ordinary skill in this art upon reading of the detailed description of this invention including the associated drawings as presented herein.